


The Pursuit of Pleasure

by buying_the_space_farm



Series: Tony Stark Bingo Round 1 & 2 [24]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: M/M, Magic, Pre-Iron Man 1, loki is a little shit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-26
Updated: 2019-05-26
Packaged: 2020-03-17 14:33:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,736
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18967171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/buying_the_space_farm/pseuds/buying_the_space_farm
Summary: Tony just wants to know who the stranger that he keeps noticing is.





	The Pursuit of Pleasure

**Author's Note:**

> for my bingo square k4:hedonism. strangely it isnt smut, which is a departure from my norm of late as well as like. the definition of the word. but i figure this is close enough :D

Tony glanced across the ballroom and took in the beautiful face that was looking back at his. Tall, dark hair, high cheekbones, it was just what his libido ordered.

He ran through all the lines he could use— ones that alluded to his status, to their possibly shared status, something about a once in a lifetime opportunity to see his bed, all the usual ones. But before he could approach, he caught his eye, winked, and disappeared. 

Not disappeared as in walked off into a moving crowd. No.

Disappeared as in there was a small puff of smoke in his wake, and Tony didn't know how to process that besides with more alcohol.

When the ever dogging Christine Everheart came up to confront him yet again, he brushed her off with more brusqueness than usual, even for him. Sure there were going to be some more Tony Stark slam pieces in the next few days than usual but it was a few droplets in a flood.

Plus, at the moment, he couldn't care less. He had a mystery guest on his hands.

*****

He sipped at his mug of coffee as JARVIS finished integrating the new facial recognition software that he had finished coding. Soon, he would know exactly who “Tall, Dark, And Mysterious” was and he could put this whole thing to bed and stop being distracted by it. Once that happened, things could go back to normal and be good and nice. Yes.

“Flick through all the frames of complete faces from the gala’s security footage J, and I’ll let you know when you hit the right one— then find him, yeah?”

“Of course, sir,” JARVIS said, and off he went. 

He— or JARVIS really— would find the mystery man if it was the last thing he did.

Well, not that overly dramatic, but the point was made.

24 hours later, far longer than this should have taken in the first place, and he still didn't have an answer. A glass of scotch replacing the coffee didn’t make anything much better. 

“I’m sorry, sir, but there is no record of any kind of the man that was at the gala two nights ago.”

“Dammt.” He downed the rest of his glass and went to pour another before he paused, thinking. “Any time there is a new Stark Industries sponsored event, I want cameras everywhere, just in case this dude shows up again.”

Tony was determined to talk to this man, and what he wanted, he— usually— got.

*****

Tall, Dark, And Mysterious wasn't at the next event. Nor at the next, or the next or the next, and Tony almost gave up hope.

He still had cameras put up everywhere just in case, but after almost two months he was low on hope.

So when someone slid up next to him and set a drink on the bar beside him, he was a tad surprised.

“I’ve heard you're looking for someone of my description?” 

When he got asked that, he was both more and less surprised.

“Yes, I have,” he replied, turning. The man was tall, taller than he had realized, and he had to turn his face up to look him in the eye.

“Might I ask why?” The tall, tall man asked, cocking his head.

“Oh, you know, I might be wanting to put a name to his pretty face.”

The man grinned. “Another time, I think.” He picked up the glass he had set down beside Tony and downed the amber liquid inside.

“I don't even get to try the drink you brought me?” Tony asked, half teasing.

“I only like the best, so imagine that. Something we have in common, from what I know,” he said and gave Tony a once over. 

He grew warm under the look, something he could say hadn't happened in a while. But when someone as handsome as this dude did it, it was hard not to feel flattered.

“I guess I’ll just have to,” Tony said, and they sent each other a glance that meant they both knew they weren't just talking about the alcohol anymore.

*****

He hadn't gotten a name from the man, he hadn't gotten any farther on with the search through technology, Tony was ready to tear his hair out in frustration. It was only the hope that he would get to see him again that made Tony act in the face of his vanity and not do anything rash.

And worst yet, Tall, Dark, And Mysterious was one hell of a tease because he wasn't at the next three events that Tony went to. Honestly. The nerve of it all.

The 2007 Annual Benefit Dinner for Firefighters was a hit though, in it both being a Stark Industries sponsored favorite and in Tony hitting jackpot with finding mystery man again.

At this point, he wasn't even a mystery anymore, more of an enigma, but mystery rolled off the tongue better.

He had shown up out of the blue, long after the invite said the party started, but long before it was even close to ending thankfully. Tony didn't know what he would have done if he had skipped out early and missed him. Probably whined to Pepper some more, much as she might hate to hear it.

Tony ended up abandoning both his drink and his conversation at the bar, uncaring that he would look over-eager. He was far past eager at this point, might as well let everyone know it, including the person he was after.

“So mystery man, do I get a name tonight?” He asked upon his arrival.

“Loki,” the man— Loki said.

“No last name?” Tony asked, hoping beyond hope that now, now, he could find out all he wanted and satisfy this curiosity that had been plaguing him for—

“No last name, no,” Loki said with a chuckle as if there was some sort of inside joke to be said with it.

“So you mean my fruitless searches for you will continue to be fruitless?” Tony asked, only half teasing.

“I’m afraid so. Do ask your dear AI to stop poking his nose into places it doesn't belong as well.” Loki said and took a sip of the bourbon he hadn’t had a moment ago.

Tony’s whole body froze. “Is that a threat?” If this ass thought he could do anything to JARVIS—

“No, only a warning,” Loki assured. “I know you’ve been trying to find me— I have many eyes of my own in many places. SHIELD is not something you want to mix yourself into is all I’m saying.”

He swallowed and stuffed his hands in his pockets. “Good. Wouldn't want to have to kill you after just learning your name.”

“I would never threaten another’s children, Stark.”

Tony appraised him, his eyes narrowing as he glanced up and down his body in a, for the first time, not sexual way. The way he held himself, he was telling the truth. The looseness of his shoulders, his relaxed hands with rather nice fingers—

No. He was checking him to make sure that he wasn’t going to have to go after Loki one day for doing something nefarious. Not checking him out for sexual purposes. Again.

“Onto better topics, may I have this dance? I am rather partial to this song,” Loki said, and extended his hand towards Tony.

Tony took it, on the verge of hesitating, but he stepped into Loki's personal space, and he set his hand on the other's shoulder. Once Loki's hand was resting on his waist, they were off.

*****

Tony hadn’t meant to get caught in Loki’s verdant green eyes, but he guessed it was a hazard of finding out more about him. Not that much of that happened either. Any questions he asked were met with half-answers and evasions and nothingness, aka nothing that he could work with in terms of finding out everything there was to know about him. Not that he was a stalker or anything, he was just. Really curious. Yeah. Curious. That’s a good word for it.

They danced the night away and didn’t even cause a stir while doing it, something that Tony wasn’t used to and Pepper was probably grateful for.

And between one moment and the next, when Tony was least expecting it, Loki disappeared from within his grasp. 

Tony stumbled and cursed, clenching his fists at his sides. Another unsuccessful night to add to the tally. 

His bet with JARVIS was not going very well at all.

*****

At the next Stark Industries event that he deigned to go to, as soon as he entered the doors long arms wrapped around his waist and a mouth was set against his ear. 

“You made me wait,” Loki whispered, and the arms tightened.

“It was only fair,” Tony snarked back.

The arms tightened around him again and his surroundings blended together into a watercolor mess. His stomach dropped into a pit before rapidly finding its place again and then everything righted itself.

Except for one thing.

He froze and Loki chuckled behind him.

“How did you think I was disappearing so easily from under your earnest gaze?” He asked.

Tony stumbled out of his arms, breaking the grip with little effort and turned around.

“What the fuck was that?” He gasped.

“Magic,” Loki supplied, shrugging. “Like I asked, how did you think I was getting away?”

“I don't know but not with magic,” Tony muttered, circling Loki to get a look at him from all sides. “How did you do that, because that shit is amazing and I need to know more.”

Loki raised a brow and shrugged. “I was born with it.”

“Born this way, were you?” He sniggered, breaking into real laughter at Loki’s look of confusion.

“Yes, if you must repeat information I already told you.”

“I'm just teasing. Can you show me your skills?” Tony’s voice dropped into his flirty tone almost by accident. But with a line like that, it had to happen.

“Depends on the skills you want me to show,” Loki said with a wink.

“How about…” Tony started, edging in front of him to grab his lapels and bring their faces closer together for a chaste kiss. “All of them?”

“I think that’s doable,” was the reply, as another, far less chaste kiss was stolen. It was the start of a wonderful night, for both of them.

**Author's Note:**

> hope you enjoyed!  
> Come talk to me!  
> [fandom twitter](https://twitter.com/SpaceFarmBaby)  
> [writing/personal twitter](https://twitter.com/alex_fitz_yo)  
> [Dreamwidth](https://sentient-teapot.dreamwidth.org/)  
> my tumblrs! for however long that lasts  
> [fandom tumblr](https://frostiron-is-endgame.tumblr.com)  
> [personal tumblr](https://spacefarm-official.tumblr.com)  
> my discord handle is sentient-teapot#7833 (feel free to dm me :D)  
> And I also have a [pillowfort](https://www.pillowfort.io/spacefarm-official)


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